A device for the industrial production of cheese blocks is known e.g. from EP-A-350777. This comprises a wash-in press having a rectangular trough, which is open at the top, for receiving moulds, a frame for arranging a press head, which can be lowered and raised, and a distribution head for feeding and metering the raw cheese mass into the moulds, and a gantry carriage for guiding the distribution head and handling a turning mechanism for the moulds. The distribution head and the turning mechanism must be provided and changed manually. The wall of the mould consists of a perforated plate and several moulds can be arranged in sets. At the end faces of a set, cylindrical pins are provided for docking a handling apparatus.
EP-A-406899 discloses a development of such a device, in which the moulds are accommodated in cassettes, which are in turn arranged in a compact manner in rows in the trough. Provided above the moulds is a press head with press dies directed at the moulds for pressing the raw cheese mass.
The actual press mould is surrounded by a pot-shaped jacket with an air supply duct (EP-B-1269832). An air duct is thereby formed, and the cheese mass adhering to the screen holes of the perforated plate of the mould can be detached from the mould side after pressing by the supplied air.
A further cheese mould with a perforated metal mould wall is disclosed in DE-B-1030612. This mould wall has on its inner surface uniformly distributed, low raised portions and depressions up to approx. 1 mm, which should not damage the cheese rind when the cheese block is removed, even if the cheese is knocked out of the mould.
According to DE-C-2823182, such a cheese mould with a perforated wall can also consist of plastic, on the inner side of which parallel grooves with a triangular cross section are provided. In the transitional and integral base region, the grooves are separated by ribs with interruptions.
Such mould walls or double bases are time-consuming to clean.
A multi-functional container for folding boxes (DE-A-19613068) has a cover plate, which rests on the folding boxes and is reinforced with ribs. The underside of the container base is provided with corrugated ribs. However, there is no connection to cheese moulds.